How Spirits Brands Can Leverage Delivery Apps

ByHoma Zaryouni ·

22 September 2015

E-commerce makes up a small portion of Spirits sales, but delivery apps are stepping up to fill the gap. Areas covered by delivery apps have exploded in the past few years. As of July 2015, the top seven delivery apps collectively serviced 33 major U.S. cities in 17 states. These services provide an opportunity for brands to reach consumers via recipes. Not only do four of the seven apps allow brands to sponsor recipes in the app or website, many delivery grocery ingredients needed for the recipes.

Brands are beginning to leverage these recipe opportunities on Klink, Minibar, Saucey, and Thirstie. For example, Absolut partnered with different alcohol delivery apps in January 2015 to reach customers in three geographic locations. For customers in New York, it provided a special edition collapsible cocktail kit in partnership with Minibar. It also provided similar cocktail-making packages with Saucey for customers in L.A. and San Francisco. Absolut is now using Minibar to sell Absolut Oak in San Diego, Denver, and Minneapolis before it goes on sale in stores nationwide.

As these delivery apps become more creative with their marketing efforts, opportunities are opening up for brands. Thirstie, for example, provides a platform where bartenders can showcase their signature cocktails and provide insights on beverage tastes.